BUS giant Arriva came under fire last night over plans to axe easyaccess vehicles from routes in North Wales.

BUS giant Arriva came under fire last night over plans to axe easyaccess vehicles from routes in North Wales.

Denbighshire Council has written a strongly worded letter to the company over its plans to withdraw the buses from the Vale of Clwyd.

The authority had already adapted kerbs to help disabled people and people with pushchairs board the vehicles.

Arriva introduced six of the special buses on the Rhyl-St Asaph-Denbigh route last year as part of a partnership with the council to try to encourage greater use of public transport.

But the company has decided to transfer them because of the low level of usage.

Denbighshire Council's head of highways and transportation, Philip Brelsford, has sent a letter attacking the decision as not being in the spirit of the partnership, which is also seeking to provide bus services to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and St Asaph Business Park.

He also points out the authority was adapting kerbs in some parts of the county to facilitate access to the buses.

A council spokesperson said yesterday: "The company is within its rights to withdraw the six buses, but their earlymorning, evening and weekend services are under contract to us, and we have asked that they keep these vehicles on then. They have agreed to this.

"Denbighshire is working hard to promote and encourage the use of public transport and we are disappointed that Arriva has decided to withdraw these vehicles."

Council chairman David Jones said he was very angry at the decision as the buses were a real help to the disabled.

"We have been working very closely with the company and they are not keeping their part of the bargain," he said.

Arriva spokesman Graham Turner said the company had invested #500,000 in the six buses for the rural routes between Rhyl and Denbigh, but added: "Unfortunately, they have not generated sufficient extra business to justify this investment.

"We have therefore decided to re-allocate the buses to another area where a far greater number of people will benefit from their modern features."

Mr Turner said the " easyaccess" buses on other routes in Denbighshire would not be affected.

"The replacement buses which we are introducing will be to a modern specification, continuing our policy of keeping the average age of our fleet below the Government's target of eight years," he added.